Coaching Search Thread a.k.a. the Jeff Blashill Thread

[BBD10 11]

Bylsma and Hitchcock are experienced coaches but they arent close to the level Babcock is. I dont want Holland to go out and get a sh*ttier coach now. If that was the plan, I am going to be pissed off because I know the Wings could afford to match the same offer babs took in Toronto. Neither Bylsma or Hitchcock are going to get any more out of the current players we have on the roster than Babs did.

Blashill is an up and comer. Just like a lot of the players on this team. They are young guys who have a really bright future, like Blashill. Blashill has the chance to be the next great for the Wings. He has a relationship with more than half of the current players and knows what he has coming up as well. The transition for Blashill may even be quicker than that of a completely different coach with a different style no matter how many years of experience they have. If Blash turns into a top NHL coach, which it looks as though he definitely could, he will never leave the Wings and we will continue to be great for years to come.

Bowman came to Detroit and instilled a style of hockey that molded this franchise into one of the best in all of sports. Babcock held the torch for 10 years and kept the Winged Wheel tradition and mentality alive. It is time to hand it to Blashill, not settle for a mediocre coach and continue to tread water for another 5 years.

[gcom007 1,465]

I was thinking the same thing. All the player quotes in that article make it sound like blashill is more relatable and less intimidating than Babcock and players respect him just as much. Blashill is about as obvious of a hire as it gets.

They said similar things about Dave Lewis too. How'd that work out?

We can find a lot of reasons to help us believe this will or won't work out, but we aren't going to really know until he gets up here and has some real NHL experience. It's a whole different experience than anything he's done before. He may be great, he may be awful. What's more likely is that he'll struggle and grow and perhaps eventually be great. In any event though, we as fans would be wise to manage our expectations so as to avoid disappointment and possibly some knee-jerk reactions if the guy stumbles a bit early on.

And believe me, I'd love to see a nice guy win and a different, more friendly methodology work, just to kill a bit of the idea that you have to be a cold, distant boss who plays mind games to be a winning coach. So I'm rooting for him, and I'm optimistic, but again, we'd do well to try to manage our expectations early on.

Edited May 21, 2015 by gcom007

[kipwinger 8,518]

There is nothing even remotely similar about Jeff Blashill and Dave Lewis. They both took over for successful coaches. That's it. Trying to make a comparison between the two is absurd.

It's possible that Jeff Blashill will fail. We all get that. It's the EXACT same possibility that every coach has in his first year behind the bench in the NHL. It's the same possibility that Scott Bowman had, Mike Babcock had, Joe Quenneville had. We get it.

Blashill has as good, or better, qualifications than any of these guys did prior to their first NHL head coaching gig. Better than Bylsma. Better than McLellan. Better than Cooper, Eakins, Boucher, too.

And most importantly, better than Dave Lewis.

Could he fail? Sure. Does the information we have overwhelmingly point toward the opposite outcome? Absolutely.

[marcaractac 3,962]

WE NEED A YOUNG FLOATING JEFF BLASHILL

[DatsyukianDekes 2,428]

They said similar things about Dave Lewis too. How'd that work out?

We can find a lot of reasons to help us believe this will or won't work out, but we aren't going to really know until he gets up here and has some real NHL experience. It's a whole different experience than anything he's done before. He may be great, he may be awful. What's more likely is that he'll struggle and grow and perhaps eventually be great. In any event though, we as fans would be wise to manage our expectations so as to avoid disappointment and possibly some knee-jerk reactions if the guy stumbles a bit early on.

And believe me, I'd love to see a nice guy win and a different, more friendly methodology work, just to kill a bit of the idea that you have to be a cold, distant boss who plays mind games to be a winning coach. So I'm rooting for him, and I'm optimistic, but again, we'd do well to try to manage our expectations early on.

And what exactly did Dave Lewis accomplish again before becoming a coach? He retired after playing with the Wings. He went into an assistant coach behind Bowman and won 3 Stanley Cups behind Bowman. He took over the team and lost two years in the playoffs with great rosters. He then went onto Boston and got fired from them after one year due to inconsistent play.

Blash had coached and gained experience for over 10 years. He's won 2008 Clark Cup with Indiana Ice, He coached Western Michigan for a year also and took them to a top-four finish in the CCHA; the best in 15 years. He also won the 2013 Calder Cup. Was the 2011 USCHO Coach of the Year, and was the 2014 AHL coach of the year.

Please do not compare them.

Edited May 21, 2015 by darkmanx

[kipwinger 8,518]

Please do not compare them.

But it's really, super duper, convenient for his argument. Will you reconsider?

[e_prime 1,936]

But it's really, super duper, convenient for his argument. Will you reconsider?

It doesn't seem like it's super argumentative. I mean he even says he's hopeful that it will be a good fit.

More like pointing out something that we all need to remember... that this team with Blash, may not work out the way we all hope and dream it will.

...but that's pretty much the same situation that could happen with bringing in ANY coach now that Babcock is out.

One thing that we can't argue is that Babcock took a roster that maybe some years weren't as great as some of the other teams out there and got them to the playoffs, consistently, for a decade.

Whoever is next, no matter their experience or pedigree, may not do that.

Edited May 21, 2015 by e_prime

[DatsyukianDekes 2,428]

But it's really, super duper, convenient for his argument. Will you reconsider?

Only, and I mean only if you reconsider following Kurt Cobain fanpage on facebook.

Edited May 21, 2015 by darkmanx

[kipwinger 8,518]

Only, and I mean only if you reconsider following Kurt Cobain fanpage on facebook.

Lol. It'll be a cold day in hell...

[freshy 181]

Seems like Blashill is more comparable to John Cooper. Young team that he grew with, and look how that is turning out. Bonus is Blashill has worked with most of the older players as well when he was an A.C. Worked with D.K. and Western as well. Homegrown guy that has been groomed in the Redwing Way. No way the guy doesn't get the job if he wants it. Illitchs' love the Michigan roots.

[gcom007 1,465]

There is nothing even remotely similar about Jeff Blashill and Dave Lewis. They both took over for successful coaches. That's it. Trying to make a comparison between the two is absurd.

It's possible that Jeff Blashill will fail. We all get that. It's the EXACT same possibility that every coach has in his first year behind the bench in the NHL. It's the same possibility that Scott Bowman had, Mike Babcock had, Joe Quenneville had. We get it.

Blashill has as good, or better, qualifications than any of these guys did prior to their first NHL head coaching gig. Better than Bylsma. Better than McLellan. Better than Cooper, Eakins, Boucher, too.

And most importantly, better than Dave Lewis.

Could he fail? Sure. Does the information we have overwhelmingly point toward the opposite outcome? Absolutely.

I never said we should hire any of the other guys. I added to the criticism of the idea of hiring Bylsma in the other thread.

As for the Dave Lewis comment, read what I quoted again and tell me again that it sounds nothing like what was said of Dave Lewis back in the day. If you've forgotten, read up or ask someone else who remembers.

Again...

I was thinking the same thing. All the player quotes in that article make it sound like blashill is more relatable and less intimidating than Babcock and players respect him just as much. Blashill is about as obvious of a hire as it gets.

My point wasn't to say that he's going to be as bad as Lewis was at all so much as stuff like that isn't indicative of what necessarily makes someone a great NHL coach. People said a lot of the same stuff about Lewis having a better and more open relationship with the players back in the day, and it did nothing to help him ultimately.

I went on to say that I hope Blashill proves the exception on that front!

I'm just trying to be a bit more objective and patient than some are around here. We've had people suggesting here that he's going to turn this team into champions again in no time flat, that he'll win coach of the year next year, that he'll get more out of our prospects in the NHL than Babcock did, etc... Very few people are acknowledging the fact that he has zero NHL head coaching experience, nor are they acknowledging the fact that there's no tougher league than the NHL to have success in.

Blashill's done enough to earn his chance, and he has a great pedigree, and we have reason to be hopeful about him. But he still has proven jack-s*** at the NHL level, and until he does, we might be wise to temper our expectations. Again, I say this in light of much of what I'm reading on here that I pointed out in the previous paragraph. You suggest that everyone knows he could fail, but you sure wouldn't know it by the general consensus that seems to be forming around here.

[amato 3,210]

They said similar things about Dave Lewis too. How'd that work out?

We can find a lot of reasons to help us believe this will or won't work out, but we aren't going to really know until he gets up here and has some real NHL experience. It's a whole different experience than anything he's done before. He may be great, he may be awful. What's more likely is that he'll struggle and grow and perhaps eventually be great. In any event though, we as fans would be wise to manage our expectations so as to avoid disappointment and possibly some knee-jerk reactions if the guy stumbles a bit early on.

And believe me, I'd love to see a nice guy win and a different, more friendly methodology work, just to kill a bit of the idea that you have to be a cold, distant boss who plays mind games to be a winning coach. So I'm rooting for him, and I'm optimistic, but again, we'd do well to try to manage our expectations early on.

I wasn't saying blashill will single handedly bring the cup back right away or anything. Just that he seems like an obvious hire. He's worked with/helped develop half the roster, give or take, and from what the players are saying he seems like a relatable guy. Plus, he clearly wants to be here or he would've left last off season. Sure, I think he can find long term success here and I'm sure there will be some bumps in the road but, there's no better option out there imo. That's all I was saying.

[gcom007 1,465]

But it's really, super duper, convenient for his argument. Will you reconsider?

And what the f*** is my argument again? Are you suggesting that I don't think we should hire Blashill, because it isn't even remotely true.

I wasn't saying blashill will single handedly bring the cup back right away or anything. Just that he seems like an obvious hire. He's worked with/helped develop half the roster, give or take, and from what the players are saying he seems like a relatable guy. Plus, he clearly wants to be here or he would've left last off season. Sure, I think he can find long term success here and I'm sure there will be some bumps in the road but, there's no better option out there imo. That's all I was saying.

I agree with this.

[e_prime 1,936]

I agree gcom, we do need to temper our expectations... otherwise the Blashill promotion get's treated much like the Leafs fans are treating the hiring of Babcock -- like the second coming of Christ.

...and when it doesn't work out immediately, and hey, maybe we miss the playoffs -- it isn't the end of the world/all Blash's fault.

Edited May 21, 2015 by e_prime

[kipwinger 8,518]

And what the f*** is my argument again? Are you suggesting that I don't think we should hire Blashill, because it isn't even remotely true.

You seem to be suggesting that everybody should be wary of expecting too much out of Jeff Blashill as head coach. Because Dave Lewis wasn't a good head coach. So maybe Blash won't be either.

If that's not what you're saying, then I have absolutely no idea why you'd bring Lewis up. Other than to try and make some sort of tenuous comparison which isn't grounded in similarity at all.

Why did you bring Lewis up again?

Edit: Nobody expects Blashill to win the Cup next year. But here's the thing...nobody expected Babcock to win the Cup next year either (had he stayed). So expectations are EXACTLY the same. However, given their relatively similar career trajectories, and the fact that Blashill out performed him in all head to head competition, I don't think it would be a stretch to expect him to be as good as Jon Cooper was in his first season as head coach. Which is a much more realistic comparison than the phony one you keep trying to make with Dave Lewis.

Edited May 21, 2015 by kipwinger

[gcom007 1,465]

You seem to be suggesting that everybody should be wary of expecting too much out of Jeff Blashill as head coach. Because Dave Lewis wasn't a good head coach. So maybe Blash won't be either.

If that's not what you're saying, then I have absolutely no idea why you'd bring Lewis up. Other than to try and make some sort of tenuous comparison which isn't grounded in similarity at all.

Why did you bring Lewis up again?

Edit: Nobody expects Blashill to win the Cup next year. But here's the thing...nobody expected Babcock to win the Cup next year either (had he stayed). So expectations are EXACTLY the same. However, given their relatively similar career trajectories, and the fact that Blashill out performed him in all head to head competition, I don't think it would be a stretch to expect him to be as good as Jon Cooper was in his first season as head coach. Which is a much more realistic comparison than the phony one you keep trying to make with Dave Lewis.

I brought Dave Lewis up exactly once to address a very specific coaching sensibility that may or may not be indicative to one's success.

[number9 3,297]

Only, and I mean only if you reconsider following Kurt Cobain fanpage on facebook.

U ranggggggg?

Why are we talking about the guy from Wendy's?

[HockeytownRules19 902]

Mitch Fick ‏@MCFick 7m7 minutes ago

I asked - and he answered. Jeff Blashill just told me, "I want to be the next head coach of the Detroit Red Wings." #Blashwatch

[HockeytownRules19 902]

Larry Figurski ‏@larryfigurski 3m3 minutes ago

Jeff Blashill at @griffinshockey practice this morning "yes I would like to be the next head coach of the Detroit #RedWings" #news8

[Rivalred 630]

So Ya think he wants the position?

[RusDRW 155]

there is nothing better than a really motivated person. We can talk as much as we want about Babcock being motivated but he wasn't over the last few years. It is tough when you already won everything...

Edited May 21, 2015 by RusDRW

[e_prime 1,936]

Anyone remember how Blash used Weiss in his conditioning stints down in GR?

[BottleOfSmoke 5,965]

WE NEED A YOUNG FLOATING JEFF BLASHILL

IT'LL BE A GOALIE THIS IS ENTIRELY UNCHARTED TERRITORY MY FRIEND

[RedWingsRox 614]

Larry Figurski ‏@larryfigurski 3m3 minutes ago

Jeff Blashill at @griffinshockey practice this morning "yes I would like to be the next head coach of the Detroit #RedWings" #news8

That's the spirit ... get her done Kenny.

[anthonyn66 89]

Since everyone is singing Babs' praises about his Olympic record, we should do well to remember Blysma preciding over the embarrassing effort and collapse of Team USA at the Olympics last year. That was a good roster.

This gets brought up a lot, and I don't think its fair to Bylsma. Their 'embarrassing effort and collapse' was a 1-0 loss to CANADA in the semi's, a hard fought match that could've gone either way. They were there to avenge a loss from four years ago, which is probably why they didn't care about bronze.

Not saying Bylsma is a great coach, not saying Bylsma over Blashill, nor am I denying that the talent he's had was a huge part of his success. All I'm saying is that his performance at the Olympics wasn't a complete disaster.